Liquid dispensing system



Ap 1933- w. H. DE LANCEY v LIQUID DISPENSING SYSTEM Filed March 1, I930 3 Sheets-Sheet l R WA l 2 i A TTORNEYS.

April 18, 1933. w. H. DE LANCEY LIQUID DISPENSING SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1930 IN VEN TOR.

MFRZW 12 i: [Mar A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 UNITED STATES WARREN H. DE LANCE'Y, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GILBERT BARKER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WEST SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A.

CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PATENT OFFICE IIIQUID DISPENSING SYSTEM Application filed March 1, 1930. Serial No. 432,469.

This invention relates to improvements in liquid dispensing systems of a type suitable for, but not necessarily limited to, the dispensing of gasoline and the like.

More particularly, the invention is directed to dispensing systems of the type wherein the delivery of the liquid is, or may be, entirely controlled from the discharge end of the flexible delivery hose,a flexible transmission wire, such for example as a Bowden wire, extending from the hose nozzle back to a device, which causes the starting and stopping of any suitable means for forcing liquid to and through the hose. I

Vhile from a theoretical consideration, the problem of remote control, through the use of a Bowden wire, seems simple of solution, difficulties are encountered in practice which not.

complicate the problem and render a thorough and commercially satisfactory solution diflicult. As is well known, a Bowden Wire mechanism comprises inner and outer members, the relative movement of which is relied on to accomplish the work. The inner member is usually a flexible, power-transmission wire which is, for all practical purposes, incompressible and inextensible. The outer member is a flexible conduit for the power wire. It is made up from a spirally wound strip and, being so made, is extensible. The flexible delivery hose usually also includes, as an inner element, a spirally wound metal strip and is extensible. Experience shows that such a hose, of the length ordinarily used in gasoline dispensers, will stretch several inches, say four or five inches. In dispensers of the wet-hose type, the hose, when hung up, will stretch appreciably under the weight of the gasoline contained therein. The result is that the outer member of the Bowden wiremechanism. being fastened to the hose, will stretch as the hose stretches. Thus, the conduit for the power transmission wire increases in length while the wire itself does Therefore, a relative movement between the wire and easing results which may cause operation of the liquid supply means at an undesired time. For example, it is possible for the liquid supply means to be automatically started in operation while no attendant is present, as when the hose has been hung up and locked up for the night. The hose gradually stretches under the weight of the gasoline therein, and in time causes enough relative movement between the Bow-. den Wire and its casing to close the switch to the pump motor and start the same in operation.

There are also other ways in which relative movements between the Bowden wire and its casing may be produced at undesired times. A simple bending of the Bowden wire casing will effect such a relative movement to some degree. The hose twists and bends in various Ways and to various degrees in normal operation, and there is the danger that enough relative movement between the Bowden wire and its casing may be caused, solely by bending the hose, to operate the switch or other control device of the power-operated, liquidforcing means. Particularly, where the Bowden wire is securely clamped to the hose, as for example when bound beneath the fabric covering thereof, the Bowden wire casing gill become stretched by the bending of the ose.

Among the broad objects of the invention are the provision of means for compensating for those relative movements between the Bowden wire and its casing which are caused by the stretching, bending, and twisting of the hose. Whatever the cause of such undesired relative movements, the invention compensates for them and allows free movement of the hose in any usual way without causing, through such movement, operation of the remote-controlled, liquid-supply means.

A particular object of the invention is to accomplish the compensation by providing the Bowden wire with a casing made up of two sections, normally axially separated on the wire, and by providing means for moving one end of one of these sections along the wire toward or away from the adjacent end of the other section accordingly as the latter section stretches or contracts, respectively. The aim is to maintain the casing, as an entirety, of a substantially constant efli'ective length under the various conditions of bending and stretching that may occur.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the operation of the Bowden wire by the handle lever of the hose nozzle valve, characterized in that all of the movement of the Bowden wire is effected before the lever begins to open the nozzle valve and that the nozzle valve can be opened to various degrees and closed without causing any movement of the wire.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means, in the nature of a safety device, to render the Bowden wire, remotecontrol mechanism ineffective whenever the hose nozzle is hung up inposition for locking.

This feature of the invention guards against a fire hazard that would otherwise exist with Bowden wire, remote control mechanisms for gasoline dispensers. In the event of a fire burning the outer layers of the hose, the inner, spirally-coiled metal element, which is bound in place by said layers, will fly apart and become rapidly extended, tending to extend the Bowden wire casing and cause operation of the liquid supply means unless prevented as by use of the safety device, herein provided.

' These and other objects of the invention will more particularly appear as the detailed description proceeds and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a small scale elevational view illustrative of one form of liquid dispensing apparatus in which my invention may be embodied,-the casing of the apparatus being shown in section to reveal interior parts;

Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary elevational views, partly in section, of the valved hose nozzle, showing respectively, the valve lever at the start and at the end of that range of its movement in which it is effective to operate the Bowden wire;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the disp ensing apparatus, taken at right angles to ig. 1 and drawn to a larger seale -the casing of the apparatus being shown in section to reveal the meter and the mechanism for controlling the flow of liquid thereto; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 1; the liquid dispensing apparatus, in its essentials, involves a meter 10, a supply conduit 11, through which liquid may be forced to the meter from a low level supply tank by any suitable power-operated means, a conduit 12 connected to the outlet of the meter and including a flexible delivery 'hose 13, provided at its discharge end with 8.

valved hose nozzle 14 (Fig. 6). In the present illustrative example, liquid is forced through pipe 11 by a rotary pump 15 (Fig. 1), driven from an electric motor 16 by a shaft 17. The intake of the pump is provided with a suction pipe 18 for connection to the liquid supply tank. An air dome 19 is usually connected to pipe 11 as indicated. A

sight glass flow indicating device 20 may be,

and usually is interposed in the discharge line, between the conduit 12 and hose 13.

The meter, pumping-means and the control mechanism are usually contained in a suitable housing 21, which encloses the space between a base 22 and cap 23,the latter being supported from the former by four pipe columns 24. These columns serve to support the motor, pump, meter and other parts, as indicated. The meter, as shown in Fig. 5, has two dial casings 25, one on each of two opposite sides of casing 21, and visible through openings in the latter. These casings are connected by a cylindrical housing 26. One of the dial casings is shown in Fig. 1 and contains a dial 27 and a pointer 28, movable over the dial by the operation of the meter. The two pointers 27 are interconnected by a shaft 29 (Fig. 6).

This invention is not particularly concerned with the details of the dispensing apparatus but has to do primarily with the control of the liquid pumping means. For this purpose in the present case, a swltch connected in circuit with motor 16 is all that s required. In the drawings, this switch s contained within a box 30 (Fig. 6) and is operated by a lever 31. This lever, when positioned as in Fig. 6, against the stop pin 32, holds the switch open and the motor stopped. When the lever 31 is allowed to drop, the switch becomes closed. It 1s not thought necessary to illustrate the switch itself or the circuit connections to motor 16 as these will readily be understood by those skilled in the art. The. switch box 30 may be supported by a bracket 33 from one of the columns 24 and is connected to a conduit 34 leading to the base of the pump, as shown in Fig. 1, and having a branch connection to the motor.

For operating the pivoted switch lever 31, a cam 35 is provided. This cam may be pivoted on a stud 36, secured to a bracket 37 fixed to box 30. The cam is weighted, as at 38, so that it tends to swing clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 6). The cam engages a roll 39 on switch lever 31 and normally tends to hold the lever in the raised and off position illustrated. A stop 40, by engagement with roll 39, limits the clockwise movement of the cam under its weight 38." The cam, when moved far enough in a counterclockwise direction to allow the roll 39 to drop Onto the low concentric portion of the cam,

end thereof, where it is connected to be operated by the lever 44, which controls the operation of the valve 45 of the hose nozzle 14. The valve 45 is normally held in closed position by a spring 45 but can be opened against the force of this spring by moving lever 44 toward the body of the nozzle 14. The lever 44 can move throughout a limited range (from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3) before moving the stem 46 to cause an opening of valve 45. This range of movement of lever 44 is utilized solely for the purpose of actuating the Bowden wire 41. The result is accomplished by the use of an intermediate lever 47, which is pivoted at one end on a stud 48 and at the other end suitably connected to wire 41. Lever 44 carries a pin 49 which engages lever 47, riding on one face of it as a cam surface. As lever 44 is moved. toward the body of nozzle 14,

lever 47 will be cammed to the left and Bowden wire 41 pulled to the left. This action will continue until lever 44 moves into the position shown in Fig. 3. Further movement of lever 44 toward the body of nozzle 44 will not move lever 47 further to the left because the pin 49 will then ride over a surface 50, which is concentric with the pivot 51 of lever 44. Thus, no movement of Bowden wire 41 will result while lever 44 is being moved in its second range of travel in which valve 45 is moved. Thus, the Bowden wire 41 and the valve 45 are operated in succession by the common actuating lever 44. Also, the actuation of the wire is effected without causing actuation of the valve and actuation of the valve is effected without causing further actuation of the wire.

By preference, the lever 47 is enclosed in a suitable housing. As shown, a web 52 formed on the guard 53 of nozzle 14. forms the back of the housing. This web is provided with a curved slot 54 concentric with pivot 51, through which pin 49 extends. The stud 48 is secured to th s web. The remainder of the housing consists of a pressed metal case 54'. secured by screws 55 and having side flanges which overlap the side edges and bottom edge of the web as shown in Fig. 4. At the top of the web is an integral part 52' which closes the top of the housing.

The case 54' has a tubular extension 56 to on the ferrule 58 of hose 13. Casing 43, as

shown, is held to hose 13 beneath the outer fabric covering thereof. At the inlet end of hose 13, the casing 43 passes through a guide tube 59, secured at one end to the ferrule 60 of hose 13 and extending into the housing 21 of the dispensing apparatus. The casing then curves around the housing 26 and then passes vertically downward to the compensating device to be described.

The compensating device, in the illustrative example herein shown, includes a cylinder 61 having its closed upper end secured, as indicated in Fig. 6, to one of the two supports 62, which are securedto columns 24 and serve to support the meter 10. The axis of the cylinder is vertically disposed and slidable within the cylinder is a weight 63. One end of section 42 of the casing for wire 41 is secured to weight 63 while the other end is secured to switch box 30. The section 43, as described, is anchored to the hose 13 by being encased within its fabric covering. The inner end of section 43 is, however, anchored to the top of cylinder 61. Compensation for any elongation in the casing section 43 is effected by moving the section 42 upwardly in cylinder 61.

Compensating movements of section 42 are effected automatically by the use of a second Bowden wire 64, one end of which is fixed to weight 63 and the other to the ferrule 58 of hose 13. A casing 65 is provided for the sec- 0nd Bowden wire and this casing parallels the casing 43, being encased by the fabric covering of the hose 13, guided in the same tube 59 as casing 43 and otherwise following, as closely as possible, the same path from the nozzle end of hose 13 up to the cylinder 61. The casing 65 is fixed to the top of this cylinder. It will be clear that anything which causes elongation or bending of casing 43 will similarly affect casing 65. Any relative movement between casing 43 and wire 41 caused by bending or elongation of hose 13 will cause a similar relative movement, and one of substantially the same degree, between casin 65 and wire 64. The relative movement between the elements 64 and 65 is made to control the position of weight 63 in cylinder 61, moving it up or allowing it to move down under its own weight, as required. Thus, one end of casing 42 will be moved along wire 41 toward or away from the adjacent end of section 43 accordingly as the latter stretches or contracts. Therefore, no relative movement of wire 41 relative to that end of casing 42 which is anchored to the switch box 30, will result. In this way, operation of the control I switch, solely by bending or stretching of the As a safety feature, means are .provided for preventing operation of the Bowden wire control under any circumstances, when the hose nozzle is hung up in position for locking. The hose nozzle 14 is supported by its guard 53 from an arm 67, herein shown as fixed to one of the members 62 and projecting out through and beyond the housing 21. The guard 53 has a slot 68 (Fig. 4) through which an apertured and upstanding lug 69 on arm 67 extends. By passing a padlock through the aperture in lug 69, the nozzle is held locked to the dispensing apparatus and, under such circumstances, operation of lever 44 is prevented by lug 69. A lever 70 is mounted to move closely adjacent the outer end of arm 67 It can move in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 5) from the position there shown, into a second position in which it prevents the placing of the hose nozzle on arm 67. The operator is forced to move lever 70 into the first position before the nozzle can be hung up on arm 67 Lever 70 is fixed to a shaft 71, mounted in bearings 72, se-' cured in lugs 73 depending from one of the members 62. Fixed to shaft 71 at a point inside housing 21, is a lever 74, carrying a head 75, swivelled therein. A push rod 76, threaded through head 75 to enable adjustment, extends downwardly with its lower end passing freely through a hole in an arm 77. Shoulders 78 are provided on rod 76 to engage and move arm 7 7 when lever 70 is moved in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 5. Arm 77 is fixed to the upper end of a rod 79, mounted for vertical sliding movement in bearings 80, secured to box 30. Fixed to rod 79, at a point between the bearings 80, is an arm 81 which projects into underlying relation with switch lever 31. A spring 82 on rod 79 acts between arm 81 and the lower bearing with a tendency to raise the arm. The result is that spring 82 tends to hold the switch lever 31 in elevated and off position, as shown. By moving lever 70 in a clockwise direction as far as possible (until the hub on arm 77 engages the upper bearing 80 asa stop) the rod 79 will be depressed, moving arm '81 away from lever 31 so that the latter is free to drop when cam 35 is moved by Bowden wire 41. When lever 70 is thus moved into its second position, the point of pivotal connection betwen the lever 74 and rod 76 crosses a line connecting the centers of shaft 71 and the center of the rodreceiving hole in arm 77, so that the parts will remain in their moved positions. When lever 70 is in its second position it interferes with th'e placing of nozzle 14 on support 67.

Lever 70 cannot, however, be moved into its second position wliile the nozzle is hung up on support 67, because the nozzle lies in its path of movement.

The lever 70 may be, and desirably is,used

also for the purpose of opening and closing a valve 83, interposed in the supply piping 11 leading to meter 10. Such valve has an operating shaft 84, to which is fixed an arm 85. Swivelled in this arm is a head '86 in which one end of a push rod 87 is slidably mounted. The other end of rod 87 has a screw thread connection (for adjustment purposes) with a head 88 swivelled in lever 74. Shoulders 89 are provided on rod 87 to engage and move head 86 and thus arm 85, when lever 70 is moved in a clockwise direction. Such movement of lever 70 will open the valve, and the spring 90 is provided to permit continued travel of the lever 70 in said direction, if necessary, after valve 83 has been fully opened. It will be clear that before the hose nozzle can be hung up on arm 67, valve 83 must be closed.

An example of the type of hose commonly used will be found in U. .S. Letters Patent No. 1,266,416, granted May 14, 1918, on an invention of J. B. Davis. The Bowden wire casings 43 and 65 may be held in place against the fabric covering of the hose there shown, by applying a second fabric covering over said casings and first covering, much in the same manner shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,713,102, granted May 14, 1929, to

G. W. Stedwell.

The operation of the apparatus will next be described. Assuming that the parts occupy the lock up position shown in Fig. 6, the switch, which controls the pump motor is open, the valve 83 is closed and the hose nozzle valve 45 is closed. Movementof the lever 44, for operating either the Bowden wire 41 or the hose nozzle valve, is prevented by the lug 69. Access to the Bowden wire for actuating the same is prevented but, even if access thereto could be had, operation of the pump motor could not be effected because the spring 82 and arm 81 hold the switch lever31 in off position. This is an important feature in a liquid dispensing apparatus having a Bowden wire control and overcomes difliculties which result from at least two sources in practical operation. First, the hose 13, when hung up, stretches due to the weight of the liquid therein, enough to cause operation of the motor control switch but for the means just described or the Bowden wire compensating means. Second, in case ,of fire, the hose, after the fabric covering has burned through, will spring apart, elongate and cause operation of the control switch. Even the compensatving mechanism might not take care of this condition. Another advantage of the arrangement is that manual operation of the control switch is enabled in case the Bowden wire control should get out of order. By removing cam 35, the switch lever 31 may be actuated by lever 70.

In serving gasoline to a customer, the operator first removes nozzle 14 from its support 67. He then moves lever 7 0 in a clockwise direction as far as it will go. This opens valve 83 and lowers arm 81 so that the switch lever is free to drop. The nozzle is then inserted in the tank to be filled and the entire control is then eflected from the hose nozzle and by means of lever 44. The first movement of this lever causes, through Bowden wire 41, a closing of the motor switch and this is effected before any opening of the nozzle valve 45. Thus, the pump is started and the liquid placed under full pressure before the nozzle valve 45 is opened. 7

Continued movement of lever 44 will open valve 45 and liquid will be dispensed to the customer and the quantities dispensed will be registered on meter 10. On completion of the dispensing operation, the operator relaxes his grip on lever 44, ,whereupon valve 45 automatically closes and after this valve has closed, the control switch automatically opens.

It is to be noted that the valve 45 can be moved throughout its entire range without causing movement of the Bowden wire. In

former controls of this general type, only a fraction of the total movement of the Bowden wire is eflected prior to the opening of the nozzle valve. Here, the entire movement of the Bowden wire is eflected prior to opening of the nozzle valve and all of the wire movement is utilized to do useful work. The arrangment allows the control to be effected with a minimum amount of wire movement and insures independence of operation of the control switch and nozzle valve as well as operation of these two elements in proper sequence.

The compensating means is a most imortant feature because it renders a control of the Bowden wire type workable in a commercially satisfactory way under the conditions encountered in practice, where the control would not otherwise be suitable. It can readily be demonstrated that, by bending the hose in certain ways, a Bowden wlre control not having the compensating means, can be actuated to start the liquid pump without moving the actuating lever for such control. The same result can be effected by the stretch- 1 ing of the hose and, as above set forth, a

considerable degree of elongation of the hose can be eflected under the weight of the liquid contained therein. It is readily possible for the pump to be started, when the hose is hung up on, and locked to its support, such as 67 except for the provision of these compensating means or the safety device, herein described.

The operation of the compensating means will be clear from the foregoing description. Such means functions to maintain the Bowden wire casing 43 of substantiallyconstant effective length. That is, the distance along the wire 41 from the hose nozzle end of casing 43 to the anchorage at the switch of the casing 42 is maintained substantially constant. Any elongation or any contrac tion of casing 42 will result in a similar action on casing 65 and cause a relative movement between the casing 65 and its wire 64. The relative movement of the latter is made to move the casing section 42 along wire 41 to compensate for the movement of casing 43. It will be clear that the compensating movement of casing 42 is substantially equal to the stretching or contracting movement of casing 43.

While I prefer to provide for the compensation in the manner described, I recognize that the result can be effected by other means diflering from those herein shown and, since I believe myself to be the first to provide for compensation in a Bowden wire control to take care of the bending or stretching of a hose, I desire to claim my vinvention in the broadest possible legal manner.

What I claim is: I 1. In a liquid dispensing system, a liquid delivery line terminating in a flexible hose,

a control element remote from the discharge end of said hose, an actuating element for...

such extensions and contractions of said casing.

2. In a liquid dispensing system, a liquid delivery line terminating in a flexible hose, a control element remote from the discharge end of said hose, an actuating element for the control element adjacent said end of the hose, a flexible power transmission wire extending from the actuating element to the control element, flexible means encasing said wire and attached near one end to the hose, and an anchorage adjacent the control element to which the flexible encasing means is attached near its other end, said encasing means subject to extension and contraction by movement of the hose and having compensatory provisions enabling such. extension and contraction without causing a movement relatively to said wire which is effective to operate said control means.

3. In a liquid dispensing system, a liquid delivery line terminating with a flexible hose,

including inner and outer elements extending along the hose, one of said elements connecting said members and the other connected to said hose at one end and to a fixed anchorage at the other end so that on relative movement of said elements the control member may be actuated from the actuating member, one of said elements being inextensible and the other extensible and contractible by the movements of extension and contraction of the hose and compensating means associated with said extensible and contractible element to neutralize such relative movements between said elements as are caused by bending or stretching of said hose.

4. In a liquid dispensing system, a liquid delivery line terminating with a flexible hose, a control member remote from the discharge end of the hose, an aetuatin member adjacent said end of the hose, a exible and substantially inextensible power transmission wire connecting said members, a flexible and extensible casing encompassing said wire and including two axially separated sections one of which is connected to the hose and extensible on bending and stretching movements of the hose, and means for automatically moving one end of the other section axially toward andaway from the adjacent end of the first named section accordingly as the first named section extends and contracts.

5. In a liquid dispensing system, a liquid delivery line terminating with a flexible hose, a control member remote from the discharge end of the hose, an actuating'member adjacent said end of the hose, a flexible and substantially inextensible power transmission wire connecting said members, a flexible and extensible casing encompassing said wire and includingtwo axially separated sections one of which is connected to the hose and extensible on bending and stretching move ments of the hose, and means for automatically moving one end of the other section ax ially toward and away from the adjacent end of the first named section accordingly as the first named section extends and contracts and substantially in proportion to such extension and contraction. 6. In a liquid dispensing system, a liquid delivery line terminating with a flexible hose,

a control member remote from the discharge end of the hose, an actuating member adjacent said end of the hose, a flexible and substantially inextensible power transmission wire connecting said members, a flexible and extensible casing encompassing said wire and including two axially separated sections one of which is connected to the hose and extensible on bending and stretching movements of the hose, and a second flexible and substantially inextensible wire guided alongside the first named wire and connected at one end to the hose near the discharge end thereof and at the other end to one end of the other section of said casing.

7. In a liquid delivery system a liquidde livery line terminating in a fiexi le hose having a discharge nozzle, means for forcing liquid through said line and hose, means for controlling the flow through said line and hose, a device adjacent the discharge end of said hose to actuate the flow controlling means, a flexible power transmission connecting the latter and said device, a support for said nozzle when not in use, and means preventing actuation of the flow controlling means through said transmission when the nozzle is in place on said sup ort.

In testimony whereof I liave aflixed my signature.

WARREN H. DE LANCEY. 

